Marti’s Corner – 144

Hi Everyone,

NOTES:

**  I made one of these once, when I was teaching Cub Scouts I think.  Whether homemade or store-bought, you need an alternative to cooking.  This one is made with #10 cans.  Homemade Canned Heat Stove – Simply Prepared with CFD

** Everyone who is capable should know how to turn off the gas main in case of an earthquake.  Take everyone out to look at the gas meter.  Find the up and down valve.  Demonstrate how they would turn the valve so that instead of up and down, it would turn sideways.  Think go with the flow or stop the flow.  That’s how I remember it.  You should have a wrench or pliers actually attached to the meter so you won’t have to be searching for one.  If your house is hit hard enough, you should do this as a precaution.  Don’t use any candles, only flashlights, until you are sure your gas is not leaking.  The last thing you need is to have your house blow up.  That would be bad!!!

** Never feel bad if you find old food that has to be thrown away.  Think of it like insurance.  It brought you several years of peace of mind.  Now, you have to re-up your policy.  You pay for insurance every month and never have to use it…..  and you are happy about not needing it and paying for it again next month.  Just toss the old, and replace and don’t beat yourself up!

GARDEN HAPPENINGS:

This chart is a good guideline for container gardening.  BUT, when I compared a 5 gallon grow bag, a 5 gallon pot from the agri-store, and a 5-gallon bucket, I found the 5-gallon bucket from Home Depot or Lowes to be much bigger.  So I started buying the 7 gallon grow bags and found them to work much better.  Some roots are shallow (like beans) and hardly go deep at all.  Some are so deep (broccoli) that they will grow through the bottom of the bag if it is on dirt. 

So, what’s happening in the garden???  All the tomatoes are planted!  The peppers are still only about 2 inches high.  Remember I had such a hard time starting them.  They are up, just not growing very quickly.  The cucumbers and butternut squash are hardened off.  They go in the ground as soon as it stops raining.  Broccoli is growing.  Potatoes and carrots are growing.  I had one bag of carrots spout nicely, and another not.  So, I bought some carrot seed tape at the grocery store and thought I’d try it.  It’s only been in about 5 days – not up yet.  (I left the remaining seed tape on the counter and Craig promptly threw it away. )

I still have beans and zucchini to plant.  They will go in as seeds.  I just looked up today about planting zucchini in grow bags.  For a vegetable that is supposed to be so easy to grow, I NEVER have good luck with it!!!  It grows, and I usually get a few zucchini, but then I deal with powdery mildew and non-fertilization the rest of the hot summer!  Try, try, try.

THIS WEEK’S PURCHASE:  Rice

There are lots of different varieties of rice:  basmati, brown, jasmine, long grain, short grain, Texmati, Whani or red rice.  There are actually more than 7,000 varieties of rice.

Recommended amount is 1-#10 can (about 5 pounds) per person per month.  Rice will store for a long time.  If you have a dog, you can use rice to replace dog food in an emergency.  Occasionally, mix plain cooked rice in with their food.  If the time comes when you can no longer buy dog food, begin mixing cooked rice in with their food a little at a time as you use up the last bag of dog food.  You can get cans of rice at the Home Storage Center.

MISC. PURCHASE:  soap

FOOD STORAGE RECIPES:

Today’s recipes come from Preparedness Principles by Barbara Salsbury.

Italian Tuna Soup

2 cans tuna, drained, set aside

1 onion chopped or 1/2 c. dehydrated onion

1/2 tsp dry minced onion

    If using fresh onions and garlic, saute in 2 TB oil in a large saucepan.  

1 can Italian-style tomatoes, undrained

1 can chicken broth

1 can cannellini beans

4 c. water

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp rosemary

     Simmer tomatoes, broth, onion, garlic, beans, water, salt, and spices uncovered for 25 minutes.  

Add tuna

1 can zucchini in Italian style tomato sauce – add and heat through.  Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Mexican Baked Beans

1/4 c. dehydrated onion

1 15-oz cans chili with beans

1 12-oz can whole kernel corn, drained

1 4 1/2-oz can chopped olives

1 c. shredded Velveeta*

1 15-oz package corn muffin mix

    Soak onions in a small cup of very hot water for 10-15 min.  Drain.  In a large skillet, mix onions, chili, corn, and olives.  Bring to boiling.  Add cheese and stir to melt.  Add cheese and stir to melt.  Pour into 8 X 11 inch baking dish.  Prepare muffin mix according to package directions.  If your package calls for eggs and you don’t have any, try just increasing the liquid by 2 TB per egg.  Spoon dough over top of casserole.  Bake 400˚ for 15-20 min.  Serves 8

*  Processed cheese like Velveeta will keep unopened for at least 6 months in your cupboard.  Once the package is opened, it must be refrigerated and used promptly.

Tuna Rice Bake

1 1/2 c. uncooked instant rice

1 1/2 c. shredded processed cheese*

2 cans tuna, drained

2 TB parsley

2 TB minced onion

2 tsp dried mustard

dash pepper

    Mix together in a 2 quart casserole dish.

1 12-oz can evaporated milk

1/2 c. water

    Stir in.  Sprinkle 1/2 c. shredded cheese on top.  Cover and bake at 350˚ for 45 min.  Serves 6.

Marti Shelley